A detailed map of how the human brainstem is wired
BRAIN CONNECTS: Mapping Connectivity of the Human Brainstem in a Nuclear Coordinate System
Creating a high-resolution 3D map of brainstem connections to help researchers studying Alzheimer's disease.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Massachusetts General Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11175435 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
The team will image human brainstem tissue at multiple scales to build a searchable, multiscale 3D atlas like a "Google Earth" for the brainstem. They will combine MRI, light-sheet fluorescence microscopy, tissue clearing, immunohistochemistry, 2-photon expansion microscopy, and polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography to capture whole-structure maps and micrometer-resolution detail of cells and axons. Molecular labels will add cell-type information while computational tools will stitch and align images into an integrated map showing axonal orientation and circuits. The resulting atlas will be shared with researchers to better understand how the brainstem is organized and how it may be altered in Alzheimer's disease.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with Alzheimer's disease or their families who are willing to donate brain tissue after death or participate in related tissue-donation programs would be appropriate contributors to this work.
Not a fit: This project does not offer direct treatments, so individuals seeking immediate clinical benefit should not expect personal care improvements from participating.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this resource could help researchers locate brainstem circuits involved in Alzheimer's and guide new diagnostic or treatment strategies in the future.
How similar studies have performed: Large-scale brain-mapping projects have succeeded in other brain regions, but applying multiscale PS-OCT and related techniques specifically to the human brainstem is largely novel.
Where this research is happening
Boston, United States
- Massachusetts General Hospital — Boston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Fischl, Bruce — Massachusetts General Hospital
- Study coordinator: Fischl, Bruce
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.